


quiet down (before you get us killed)

by moondanse



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Confessions, M/M, spooky scary times, they share a bed in a haunted cabin what else do u need to know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23943874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moondanse/pseuds/moondanse
Summary: In an attempt to woo his best friend, Donghyuck books them a weekend at a nice little log cabin in the forest. It’s homey, cute; he figures it’s the picturesque place for a confession.Renjun apparently disagrees. “I’m not going in there. That place is totally haunted.”
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan
Comments: 44
Kudos: 352





	quiet down (before you get us killed)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [demonglass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonglass/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [quiet down (before you get us killed)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25783156) by [77uuuuuuy6](https://archiveofourown.org/users/77uuuuuuy6/pseuds/77uuuuuuy6)



> pretend renjun’s birthday wasn’t over a month ago
> 
> i have no idea what this is/idk how to write humor, but you can thank [amanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonglass/pseuds/demonglass) for the haunted house idea. i waive all responsibility 
> 
> no beta we die like men

Things are not going as planned. 

When Donghyuck first dreamed up this grand idea, it was all romance and intrigue and everything he’d need to sweep Renjun off his feet. There’d be games. There’d be cuddling. There’d be all of Renjun’s favorite movies, loaded up on an old DVD just in case they don’t have internet access. This weekend is supposed to be perfect - his one chance to tell his friend how he really feels. 

It is _not_ supposed to start with Renjun refusing to even enter the building. And yet here he is, feet rooted to the ground, unmoving. His eyes are wide and his arms crossed. There’s a look on his face that one might mistake for anger, but Donghyuck knows it’s more than that. It’s _apprehension._

“This is the place?” Renjun exclaims in disbelief. “Is this a joke?”

Donghyuck would be annoyed at the lack of gratitude in Renjun’s statement if it weren’t for the sheer panic washing over him. 

“What? What’s wrong with it?” His eyes nervously dart up towards the bed and breakfast, a nice little log cabin situated in the forest. It’s homey, cute; he figured it’d be the picturesque place for a confession. 

Renjun apparently disagrees. 

“I’m not going in there,” he says. “That place is totally haunted.”

Next to them, Yangyang starts to laugh. The sound startles Donghyuck back to reality, and he suddenly remembers that they aren’t alone. Jeno, saddled with carrying most of their things, looks uneasy. Jaemin is there, too, and he gives Donghyuck a look that can only be interpreted as pity. He looks away quickly. 

“What do you mean?” Donghyuck retorts, voice rising. “No it’s not. I looked this place up online and it has great reviews—”

“Yeah, right. You never read that shit.”

Donghyuck frowns. Okay, so maybe he only read the first two reviews before deciding the place was suitably romantic (and within budget) - but surely he would have noticed if it was _haunted,_ right?

“Does it matter?” he whines. “Ghosts aren’t real. And even if they were, we already drove all the way here! And we paid for our stay! You’re coming in.”

He begins tugging on Renjun’s arm, ignoring his protests and all but dragging him towards the front door. It’s a battle of strengths that he barely wins, but eventually the five of them make it into the building. There’s a chalkboard sign at the entrance welcoming them:

_Happy 20th Birthday, Renjun! Welcome Renjun, Donghyuck, Jeno, Jaemin, and Yangyang!_

Renjun glares at it from where he hovers in the doorway, still reluctant to step all the way inside. 

“I don’t like that the house knows our names. That’s just asking to be possessed or cursed or some shit.”

Yangyang snorts and toes off his shoes before venturing further into the house. “Yo, this place is so cool!” he shouts from what is presumably the living room. “Guys, come check out the TV!”

Jeno and Jaemin obediently follow, leaving Donghyuck and Renjun alone. Normally Donghyuck would be quite happy about that, but given the circumstances, he’s more than a little on edge. 

There’s a beat of silence before either of them speaks.

“I thought it looked romantic when I saw the listing online,” Donghyuck admits with a pout. “You really don’t like it?”

Renjun’s shoulders relax slightly, tension washing away to guilt. His eyebrows unfurrow to lift inquisitively. “Romantic?” he asks. Donghyuck doesn’t miss the nervous lilt of laughter that follows. “I mean… It's a log cabin in the middle of the woods. Come on, Hyuck, if it’s not haunted there’s at least a murderer lurking nearby. Did you bring me here to die?”

_No, I brought you here to tell you I like you, you idiot._

Donghyuck swallows. “Of course not,” he says. “Come on, let's go inside, birthday boy. If there really is a ghost or a murderer or whatever, I’ll protect you~.”

Renjun rolls his eyes, but he moves to take his shoes off, so Donghyuck considers it a win. “Fine,” he says. “But we’re rooming together. If an angry spirit attacks, I’m using you as a shield.”

***

Maybe the plan can be adjusted - maybe the imminent fear of possession and/or murder is just the setup Donghyuck needs in order to hold Renjun close and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Maybe Renjun will cling to him for comfort, and Donghyuck will be the brave knight in shining armor who makes him feel safe. Maybe he’ll lean in for a kiss, and they’ll end up locked in a passionate make out session driven by their heightened sense of mortality. 

Or maybe not. These things would be a lot more probable if Donghyuck wasn’t also, as some may say, a huge weenie. 

“Stop that!” He squeaks, nestling further under the blankets of their shared bed. “You’re freaking me out.”

Renjun digs his fingernails into the skin on Donghyuck’s arm as he sits up, alert. “No, I swear, I heard a weird noise. Don’t you hear it?”

Donghyuck strains his ears and sure enough, there’s a faint scratching sound coming from the corner of the room. Despite his earlier allegations that he’d protect Renjun, he feels his blood run cold in apprehension. 

“Probably just a stray cat or something,” he says, but the hesitation is clear in his voice. 

“Or it’s like, I don’t know, the grudge,” Renjun responds. Donghyuck slaps him on the arm, but sidles up closer almost instinctively. 

“Shut up, oh my god, you watch too many horror movies,” Donghyuck whispers.

“Only because you insist on torturing the both of us whenever we hang out,” Renjun spits back. 

Donghyuck doesn’t really have a response to that (So what if he purposefully chooses scary movies to maximize cuddle potential? Is that a crime?), so instead he focuses on pinpointing the mysterious noise. It’s grown louder, somehow - more discernible now than Jaemin’s faint chattering from the other room. Or is that just his imagination? It’s hard to tell with Renjun planting all these ideas in his head. 

“If I die the night before my birthday,” Renjun whispers, huddled impossibly close, “I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your life.”

“Assuming I somehow live? What if we both die?”

“Then I’ll haunt you for the rest of your afterlife.”

Donghyuck is about to spit something back about how ghosts can’t haunt other ghosts, probably, but he’s startled into silence by an ominous _thump._

“...Jeno…?” Renjun whispers. No response. Donghyuck tightens his grip on Renjun’s arm until his knuckles go white. Renjun looks at him with wide eyes. “Is this a prank?”

“No!”

“Then what the fuck—”

Donghyuck’s phone chimes, signaling a new text message, and they both let out a surprised shriek. For a split second afterwards they simply stare at each other, embarrassed, then Renjun carefully untangles himself from Donghyuck. He lays back down on his side of the bed, leaving an obviously intentional space between them.

Sighing, Donghyuck curses his luck and reaches for his phone. It’s a text from Jaemin. Why he’s texting instead of simply walking the twenty feet to speak to him in person, Donghyuck has no idea. He’s never quite understood the ways of Na Jaemin. 

**jaemin**

did u confess yet????  
nows ur chance to make a move  
HYUCKIE FIGHTING!

His face blooms impossibly red. Donghyuck is grateful for the darkness that hides it, even if it’s also potentially hiding a ghost murderer. He glances over - Renjun’s got his back to him now, clearly pretending to be asleep but much too tense to actually pull it off. Still, his current position won’t allow him to see what Donghyuck is texting, so he honors Jaemin with a quick response. 

**hyuck**

no  
hey… are u guys making weird noises out there?

**jaemin**

well why not… times a tickin   
????  
no what do u mean

**hyuck**

nvm. night jaem

**jaemin**

lol what????  
goodnight :/

The silence hangs heavy around them as Donghyuck settles in to sleep. His ears are straining, listening carefully for any other strange sounds, pulling him out of sleep each time the wind so much as rustles. 

A few times in the night Donghyuck wakes up and thinks he sees Renjun staring back at him. It could be the sleep deprivation, or a dream, or some sort of trick of the light - but it sets his heart beating faster. 

The plan had been to tell Renjun how he feels right at midnight, as either the best or worst birthday gift ever, depending on how things went. He hadn’t gotten that chance. 

_Tomorrow,_ he tells himself, drifting back into sleep. And he slings an arm over Renjun’s waist, tugging him closer. 

***

They wake up to the curtains being thrown open and an obnoxiously loud and off key rendition of the birthday song. 

Renjun groans and hides his face in Donghyuck’s neck and cuddles closer; Donghyuck focuses all his energy on not blushing too hard. 

“Happy birthday, Renjun!” Yangyang yells before launching himself on top of the two boys, limbs spread every which way. 

“And happy Renjun’s birthday to Donghyuck as well, it seems,” Jaemin teases. He’s got a shit-eating grin on his face and looks about two seconds shy of wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Donghyuck glares at him over the crest of Renjun’s head. Jeno laughs. 

“Ow, Liu, your bony elbow is digging into my ribcage,” Renjun complains, seemingly ignoring Jaemin’s comment. 

Yangyang giggles and shifts so that he’s sitting up instead. He bounces in his seat, causing the bed to bounce with him. Renjun sits up, too, and Donghyuck quietly mourns the loss of body heat. 

“So,” Jeno starts. “How does it feel to be old?”

Renjun rolls his eyes. “You’re literally a month younger than me, shut up. You’re next.”

“Yeah but I’m not there _yet,”_ Jeno replies with a grin. 

Suddenly, Jaemin claps his hands together. “Alright, my babies! Time to get up. We’ve got birthday festivities to partake in.”

Donghyuck rubs the sleep from his eyes and takes a moment to glance at where his phone rests on the bedside table. The time causes him to do a double take - he knows they've got a lot on the agenda for today, but come _on._

“Who the fuck wakes someone up at 9am on their birthday?” he whines. 

“People who want to make their brunch reservations, solve an escape room, and tear up the arcade all in one day,” Jaemin responds. He swats at Donghyuck’s legs where they rest under the covers. “Sorry to interrupt your precious cuddle time, but we’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

Donghyuck groans. Yangyang, currently tugging on Renjun’s arm in an attempt to drag him out of bed, speaks up. “Why are you guys so tired, anyway? You both went to bed like, way before us last night.”

Jaemin’s eyes light up with mischief, and Donghyuck knows he’s about to throttle that boy for whatever comes out of his mouth next: “Maybe they were doing _something else_ instead of sleeping—“

“Shut up, we didn’t sleep well because this room is fucking haunted,” Renjun spits before Donghyuck can even answer. Donghyuck blinks in surprise; normally Jaemin’s teasing rolls right off Renjun’s back, but… is that a _blush_ he sees? 

“Haunted?” Yangyang snorts. 

“Yes,” Renjun responds, “There were weird noises all throughout the night; I kept waking up in a cold sweat.”

Their friends look at him, incredulous, and Donghyuck takes this moment to regain his bearings. “It’s true,” he says. He takes a deep breath, mustering up all the flair he can at this ungodly hour. “Our Injunnie was so afraid of the ghosts, that of course I _had_ to soothe him to sleep. I’m quite tired because I spent all night watching over him. He’s so lucky he has me, really.”

Renjun turns to him, his cheeks definitely flushed red now, and reaches out to lock him in a fierce noogie. (And maybe Renjun is trying to punish him, but Donghyuck loves when they play-fight like this. Nothing quite matches the feeling of Renjun’s hands in his hair, his arms around his neck, and the exasperation in his voice as it pitches higher and higher.)

“You’re such a liar! You were just as scared as I was—”

“Was _not—”_

“Okay, whatever, enough flirting. I want pancakes,” Jeno pouts from the center of the room. 

Renjun releases Donghyuck and blushes, _again._ This has to be a record, Donghyuck thinks, as he looks on in awe. 

“Alright, alright. We’re getting up.”

He tries not to stare too hard as Renjun finally climbs out of bed, hair sticking out in a thousand directions and cheeks dusted pink.

***

Jaemin is right: it _is_ a big day. They’ve pulled out all the stops for Renjun’s 20th, dabbling in all of the boy’s favorite group activities before ending the night with some noraebang. They’re exhausted when they finally make it back to the cabin. Renjun collapses onto the bed in their room without even bothering to undress himself, the lingering effects of soju leaving his mind and body feeling hazy. 

“Sit up,” Donghyuck demands, nudging Renjun’s dangling foot with his own. “I haven’t given you your birthday present yet.”

It takes him a good ten seconds and a great amount of effort, but Renjun sits up just as he’s asked. There’s a look of confusion on his face as he tilts his head to the side, questioning. 

“I thought organizing and paying for this trip was my present,” he says. 

Donghyuck shakes his head and clicks his tongue in mock disappointment. “Come on, Injunnie, don’t you know me better than that by now? Of course that’s _part_ of your gift, but that’s from all of us. I got you something just from me, too.”

Renjun is still a little tipsy from their earlier celebrations. He gives Donghyuck a lost, sleepy smile, and Donghyuck feels his nerves start to act up. No, no, stop that, heart! Be calm!

When he doesn’t elaborate, Renjun scoots forward like a child on the edge of their seat, and smiles. Totally not helping the whole _be calm_ thing. “Well, what is it?” he asks. 

Suddenly shy, Donghyuck clears his throat and reaches for the bag he’d stashed near their bed earlier. “Oh, um,” he stumbles over his words, “I actually bought one of these things today while we were out, but the other one I’ve been meaning to give you for a while. Uh… here. There’s no card, sorry.”

He thrusts the bag into Renjun’s hands. Renjun digs into it immediately, pulling out two objects: a small case and some sort of embroidered cloth.

“Um,” Donghyuck starts again. “The first is because I know you’re always losing your airpods.”

Renjun turns the tiny plastic case around in his hands, admiring it. “It’s got Moomin on it,” he smiles. 

“Yeah.” Donghyuck is the one blushing now, and he rushes through his words out of embarrassment. “The other thing is, well, maybe you’ll think it’s stupid but I saw it when we were shopping and thought—maybe it’d help scare off the evil spirits in this room, or whatever, if we hang it up on the door—the guy said it protects whatever space you hang it in, it’s like, feng shui or whatever… though who knows if it’s all just bullshit or not...” he trails off. 

There’s a beat of silence as Renjun examines the cloth carefully. It’s pretty, with an embroidered symbol of protection on both sides and clean, crisp edges. Renjun looks up at Donghyuck with a mixture of fondness and surprise. 

“What happened to ‘ghosts aren’t real?’” he teases.

Donghyuck scoffs. “Well, you know… it’s your birthday, and if _you_ think they’re real then I can at least play along? Besides, if they aren’t real then we still get a nice decoration on our door, so there’s no harm really. I mean, if you want to put it up, that is. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to. I know it’s kinda stupid.”

Renjun laughs then, a light, feathery laugh that sends Donghyuck’s heart into overdrive. “It’s not stupid,” he says, still smiling. He gets up and attaches it to the door - it’s slightly crooked, but it’ll do. When he returns to the bed, he reaches out for Donghyuck’s hand and gives it a light squeeze. 

“Thanks, Hyuckie,” he says. “Your gifts are really thoughtful.”

Donghyuck’s heart is about to explode. All he can manage is a quick nod and a mumbled “happy birthday” before excusing himself to the bathroom to get ready for bed. As he stares at his reflection in the mirror, he wonders if he should do it now. If he should confess. They’d certainly had a little moment just then, hadn’t they? And if Donghyuck isn’t a complete idiot, he’s pretty sure the signs all point to Renjun liking him back—

He returns to the bedroom with a racing heartbeat and slightly sweaty palms, only to find Renjun passed out under the covers. Suddenly Donghyuck remembers the alcohol he’d consumed earlier and sighs. 

No, he doesn’t want to do it like this. He wants to confess to Renjun when he’s sober - and, of course, awake. There’s still one more day of their mini vacation left; it’ll have to be tomorrow. 

Donghyuck slips into bed and falls asleep almost instantly, the only noise within earshot being the steady rhythm of Renjun’s breathing. 

***

In the middle of the night, he’s stirred awake by Renjun gently shaking his shoulders. 

“Wha…”

“I don’t think your protection ward worked,” Renjun whispers almost directly into his ear, hands locked onto Donghyuck’s arm in a tight grip. “There’s something outside the window.”

Donghyuck sits up in a panic, causing the bed underneath them to squeak slightly. Renjun shushes it like it’s a child and not an inanimate object. Donghyuck squints into the darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust. 

Then he sees it. 

There’s definitely movement out there - a figure, or something, shrouded in shadow. It looks too big to be a stray cat, and it’s not the right shape to be a tree moving in the wind. It’s not even particularly windy tonight. In fact, the only sounds are the quiet rumble of the water heater and that same weird scratching noise from the first night. 

“Do you think it’s a person?” Donghyuck whispers, voice small and scared. “Why would someone be outside in the woods at this time?”

“Shh,” is all Renjun says. 

It definitely appears to be a person. And they definitely seem to be moving closer to the window, almost as if they intend to open it. 

“Oh my god,” Donghyuck squeaks. “There’s someone there. You were right. It’s a murderer. We’re going to get murdered—”

“SHH!” Renjun says again, forcefully this time, and claps a hand over Donghyuck’s mouth. Donghyuck can feel his fingers shaking as they hear the window squeak open slowly. 

Time nearly stops. Donghyuck is struck with the realization that they may actually be murdered, that there’s _actually_ someone breaking into their cabin right now, and that he still hasn’t told Renjun how he feels. 

He pulls Renjun’s hand away from his face and clutches it. 

“Renjun, if we die here, I have to tell you something before it’s too late—”

Renjun is frozen in fear, eyes glued to the window. He whispers back in a panic, “Donghyuck, shut the fuck up—”

“No, this is really important—”

“Hyuck, I swear to god—”

“Renjun, shut up and listen to me! I have a big fat crush on you and I want to smooch you on the mouth and like grow old together and hold hands and go on dates—though I guess if we die tonight we won’t get to do that, but at least I can tell you how I feel before my head is chopped off or whatever—”

“ _What are you saying right now?”_

“I’m saying I don’t wanna die because I haven’t even kissed you yet!”

Renjun’s face burns beet red, but before he can say anything, the sound of laughter breaks through the silence. It’s not Donghyuck’s laughter, or even Renjun’s, but Yangyang’s. Yangyang, who hops down from the windowsill with a mischievous grin on his face and tears in his eyes. 

Yangyang, who is exactly the sort of friend who would stir up shit to mess with them.

The realization smacks Donghyuck in the face at the same moment that Yangyang says, “Man, that was too good. You should have seen how scared you guys were!”

Donghyuck is too angry, too mortified, to even give Yangyang the time of day. Instead he pushes past his friends for the door, yanking it open. The symbol of protection flutters to the floor. 

Renjun reaches out, features stunned but painted with concern. “Hyuck—”

The door slams behind him, and he’s gone.

***

Renjun finds him sitting on the swinging bench in the backyard. 

“You’re outside the circle of protection, you know,” he calls out softly. Donghyuck doesn’t look up as he takes a seat next to him. 

“After the embarrassment I have suffered tonight, I’ve made my peace with an early death. A vengeful ghost taking over my body doesn’t sound so bad, actually.”

Renjun lets out a small, shy laugh. “You can’t give up that easily,” he says. “After all, you haven’t kissed me yet.”

The words hang between them, heavy and full of hope. Donghyuck finally lifts his eyes to look at Renjun, his breath catching when he realizes how close they are. It takes only a brief moment of sustained eye contact before he’s leaning in, Renjun meeting him halfway. 

The kiss is short, but sweet. Renjun reaches out to curl his hands around the fabric of Donghyuck’s pajamas. Donghyuck sighs into his lips and presses closer with light, soft pressure. 

When they pull apart, he can just barely make out the slight flush of Renjun’s cheeks in the moonlight. 

“Alright, now you can die,” Renjun says. 

Donghyuck has experienced every possible human emotion over the last two days, so of course his brain is exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, that it decides to completely shut down. Did Renjun just tell him to die? What? He stares back at him with a blank expression, all semblance of logical thought thrown in the trash. 

Renjun notices the lack of reaction and lifts a brow. 

“Kidding,” he laughs, reaching for Donghyuck’s hand. He laces their fingers together gently, shyly. “I like you too, dumbass.”

Aaaaaaand…. we’re back. Donghyuck blinks rapidly as he processes the words, then finally breaks into a smile so bright that it rivals the moon above them. 

“Oh!” he exclaims, looking from their clasped hands to Renjun’s blushing face and back. “So then… can I kiss you again?” he asks. 

Renjun straight up _giggles_ , and Donghyuck thinks for a moment that maybe he really did get murdered, and this is his own personal heaven. 

“Definitely,” Renjun says, biting his lower lip. “But maybe we should move back inside…? This forest gives me the creeps, and it’s like, 3am.”

“Right,” Donghyuck nods. “Inside. To our room. And our bed, which we share. Alone.”

Renjun gives him a Look. “You gonna be able to handle that?” he asks. “I know we literally just kissed but if it makes you uncomfortable—”

“No,” Donghyuck protests. “It’s just. You know. The ghosts, that’s all.”

“The ghosts.” Renjun rolls his eyes and stands, tugging Donghyuck up with him. “Right. Don’t worry baby, I'll protect you~”

Donghyuck stumbles over his own two feet as they make their way back inside. “Did you just call me baby?”

“Shut up, do you wanna make out in our room or not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s what I thought.”

***

Both Donghyuck and Renjun give Yangyang the silent treatment all throughout the next day, though Renjun breaks after he apologizes. Donghyuck, however, is stubborn, and insists on getting his revenge in the form of PDA.

He smacks another quick kiss to the side of Renjun’s head as the five of them settle down to watch a movie. Yangyang asks for someone (Donghyuck) to pass the popcorn and he responds by snaking his arm around Renjun’s shoulders, instead. 

“Okay, but for real, shouldn’t you be thanking me?” Yangyang complains. “It’s because of me that you guys even got together. I’m sorry I freaked you out so bad, but good things came of it, yeah?”

Donghyuck reaches into the popcorn bowl and shoves a handful into his mouth. “Y’all hear sumn?”

Renjun snorts, but sends Yangyang an apologetic look. “I think we would have gotten together eventually anyway,” he says, shrugging. “So no, we will not be thanking you for camping outside our room and making weird noises for two nights. Who even does that?”

Yangyang looks utterly offended. “Okay, what? No, it was not two nights, I only thought it’d be funny to sneak into your room because I was outside getting some fresh air and noticed you were awake.”

“One, who needs fresh air at 3am? And two… you mean it wasn’t you making those weird scratching sounds the first night?” Renjun narrows his eyes. 

“What? No way. I’m not that committed to a prank; that’s way too much effort.”

Renjun and Donghyuck glance at each other, eyes going wide at the implications. 

“Okay, next birthday, we’re going to Lotte World instead,” Donghyuck says. “This place is totally haunted.”

Their friends hum in approval, no complaints to be found. As the opening credits of the movie begin to play, Renjun reaches up and boops the tip of Donghyuck’s nose. 

“I told you so,” he says, and for once, Donghyuck can’t find it in him to fight back. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments and kudos appreciated!
> 
> talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/dreamrunmp3)!


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